This is the best French Toast recipe and it’s so easy to make. This classic breakfast features sweet egg-soaked Brioche bread cooked in a pan and served with your favorite toppings. Brioche is the best bread for the softest, tastiest French Toast.
French Toast is a classic breakfast recipe that features slices of bread soaked in a sweetened egg custard mixture. Then we cook this sweet egg-soaked bread in a pan until it’s perfectly golden-brown on each side. For a perfect finish, top French Toast with powdered sugar, fruit, maple syrup, or butter.
This great breakfast recipe actually dates back centuries ago but the true origin is not known. Since just about every country has their own version of this dish, it’s hard to point out where it came from exactly.
The version of French Toast that we’re familiar with in US most likely originated from the French recipe for “pain perdu,” that literally means “lost bread.” This term comes from a way of reviving stale bread so it can be eaten instead of thrown out. The perfect way to revive old bread was to soak it in eggs and milk and cook it. “Pain perdu” was often served as a dessert or snack in the afternoon.
How To Make French Toast
Step 1: Use a sharp serrated or bread knife to slice the bread loaf.
PRO TIP: Don’t slice the bread too thin! Perfect bread slice thickness for the best French Toast is between 3/4 and 1 inch.
Step 2: Combine all of the ingredients for the custard in the wide and shallow bowl and whisk very well! Make sure to which until it looks smooth, with no egg white chunks left.
Preheat a large cooking pan over medium or slightly lower than medium heat. Make sure to preheat the pan completely before starting to cook.
Step 3: Lightly grease the preheated pan. Soak each slice of bread for about 15 seconds each, flipping it from side to side to get an even coating.
Step 4: Place the soaked bread into the preheated pan one at a time. Let the bread cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Make sure to flip each slice in the order that you added it to the pan, giving a few seconds in between.
Tips For The Best French Toast
- For creamiest texture, use heavy whipping cream in the egg mixture. Heavy whipping cream also makes the egg mixture thicker rather than watery like it is with milk. Since the egg mixture is thicker, it will take a little longer to soak into the bread for a better final texture.
- Don’t add too much milk/cream!
- To enhance all the flavors and aroma, do add some pure vanilla extract to the egg mixture.
- Preheat the pan completely before starting to batter the bread.
- Don’t turn the heat up higher than medium. I would actually recommend the heat to be a little lower than medium because the outside of the bread cooks very fast and you want inside to be cooked through as well.
- Don’t walk away far, French Toast only takes 3-4 minutes of cooking on each side. Use a large pan so you can fit several slices at a time.
- If using the griddle, preheat it well and make sure the heat is spread evenly. Downfall of a griddle is often uneven heat.
Recipe FAQs
How To Tell If French Toast Is Done?
As the French toast slices cook, after you flip the bread to the uncooked side, you are looking for the center of the bread slice to raise as the egg inside cooks. Raising center is indicating that the egg that soaked in the middle is cooking. Wait until it deflates and carefully touch the center with your finger. It should feel firm and now squishy.
What Are Best Bread Options?
Brioche: This bread is so soft and fluffy, it does the best job soaking the sweet egg mixture. Brioche also has a sweet and buttery flavor, which contributes to the overall flavor of the dish.
French Baguette: It is just as good at soaking up the egg mixture and holding its own integrity. This is actually the best option to make stuffed French toast. Although, it does not soak up the eggs as easily and as quickly as Brioche.
Challah: The reason for it being only third out of the top 3 is because of the flavor and texture. Challah doesn’t have much sweetness in it so you may need to add more sugar to the egg mixture or in the topping. This type of bread is also denser and a bit drier than the previous two options.
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
If you’ve made this French toast using my recipe and found a lot of good information here, PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below as well.
The Best French Toast
Ingredients
- 8 oz (8 slices) of Brioche bread
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp brown sugar packed
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon optional*
Instructions
- Note: this egg mixture should comfortably batter 8 slices of Brioche bread that are a between 3/4 and 1 inch thick. It will batter 10-12 slices of French baguette or about 6 slices of Challah.
- Slice bread and set it aside.
- In a deep and wide bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon (if using), and salt. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat a large cooking pan oven medium to medium-low heat. Add a little bit of oil and spread it evenly (or use cooking oil spray).
- Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, and flip back and forth for about 15 seconds. Brioche bread is nice and quick to soak up the egg. Note: Only batter as many slices as will fit into the pan. If you have to cook in two or more batches, batter bread right before adding it to the pan.
- Place battered slices into the pan and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. (Repeat with remaining slices of bread if needed.)PRO TIP: as the French toast slices cook, after you flip the bread to the uncooked side, you are looking for the center of the bread slice to raise as the egg inside cooks. Raising center is indicating that the egg that soaked in the middle is cooking. Wait until it deflates and carefully touch the center with your finger. It should feel firm and now squishy.
- Serve with your favorite topping.
Video
Notes
- Bread: for the best French Toast, use Brioche loaf and slice it into thick slices that are between 3/4 and 1 inch thick.
- For more bread options, check the post for information about Challah and French Baguette.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – I recommend using heavy whipping cream because of the rich and creamy consistency that it brings to the custard. You can use half and half or whole milk if absolutely needed but not with less fat.
- For a lactose free option, you can use lactose free whole milk or lactose free half and half. If you need a dairy free option, use oat, almond, or soy milk substitutes but note that the flavor will change slightly.
- Make sure your French Toast is cooked through (touch the center) – once you flip the bread slices, you will notice the bread will raise in the center. Let it raise, cook, and deflate. Touch in the center to make sure it feels firm.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on February 12, 2019.
Michelle Medina says
My favorite French toast recipe by far!!!
LyubaB says
I’m delighted to hear that!
Ginny says
I also love to use croissants by slicing in half. Adds a warm buttery taste.
LyubaB says
Sounds yummy!
Rainee says
Fed it to the guys at hunting camp. They loved it!
LyubaB says
I am so happy they liked it!
JONESCRUSHER says
If you can buy it ; Get a round loaf of KING’S HAWAIIAN BREAD. It makes wonderful French toast. The bread’s already sweet flavored. So you might not even need syrup.
Natalie says
Perfection!
LyubaB says
Thank you, Natalie!
Cheryl says
Can these be frozen and used at a later date?
LyubaB says
Yes, and there’s no need to defrost them, either. To prepare the frozen berries, simply smack the bag on the counter a few times to break up any that have been stuck together. Mix the frozen blueberries just like you would fresh ones and bake the very same way.
LyubaB says
Yes, you can I do it all the time. Place the French toast in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until partly frozen about 1-2 hours. After frozen solid put the frozen French toast into a freezer bag. You can also wrap each piece of toast in a sheet of plastic food wrap and place the wrapped toast in a freezer bag or tin foil.
Julie says
I didn’t have cinnamon so I used nutmeg. And it was delicious. Actually I think it was better than the cinnamon.
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it, Julie!
Jason says
Just made this today with Texas toast for the bread… Definitely my new go to French toast recipe, very good! Thanks for sharing.
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it!
Kelly Shelley says
Great recipe and easy!
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it!
Alonso Mullick says
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Yvonne Baldwin says
Love this recipe; thanks so much!
LyubaB says
I am so happy to hear you love it!
Mary says
Excellent recipe ! Thank you 😊